A primary application of the invention herein is for use in repairing belts on farm equipment and, particularly, for repairing belts used on hay balers. A common type of hay baler in use today employs a number of paralleled, spaced apart belts onto which hay is moved and rotated until a large round bale is formed. After a bale is formed it is dumped from the baler and a new bale is started. The typical round hay baler uses from six to eight belts and the belts can vary in width from about 6 to about 12 inches.
The belts used on a round hay baler are subject to substantial stress and wear. A problem encountered by farmers or others that use round hay balers is that of repairing a belt when it breaks. If a farmer is operating a round hay baler and a belt breaks, the belt must be repaired before baling of hay can be resumed. If the farmer is required to take the broken belt to a repair shop, substantial delay can be expected since a repair shop may be many miles from the hayfield where the baler is in use at the time the belt breaks. If the farmer has facilities and equipment at his home or base of operation he can take the belt there for repair but even this may occasion substantial delay in that frequently farmers have hay baling operations that are not immediately adjacent to their home or workshop where belt repair facilities may be readily available.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688 entitled, "PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING A LACER TO A BELT", James M. Garner, inventor, that issued on Oct. 28, 1997 discloses a portable apparatus for use in repairing belts, and more specifically, provides a portable apparatus for affixing a lacer assembly to one end of a belt. U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688 is incorporated herein by reference.
Belts of the type used in hay balers typically are formed of a long length of flexible material having opposed ends. At each opposed end of the long length of belt a lacer assembly is attached. A lacer assembly is formed of a plurality of paralleled metal belt fasteners. The typical belt fastener hook is a unitaly length of metal in a generally U-shaped configuration with a loop or bight portion between opposed legs. When a lacer assembly made up of a plurality of belt fasteners is attached to the end of a belt, the belt fasteners function as a way to secure the ends of the belt together. That is, with a belt fastener assembly at each end of a belt, the fasteners are aligned so that the hooks or bight portions of each of the belt fasteners interweave with each other. A rod extended through the interweaved bight portions secures the belt end to end.
The present invention provides an improved alignment member and an improved anvil for use in portable belt lacers.
For background information relating to belt lacing machines that are useable for repairing wide, flat belts, reference may be had to the following United States Patents:
PAT. NO. INVENTOR TITLE D328,749 Womack Belt Lacer 1,740,180 Larson Belt Lacing Machine 1,853,928 Purple Belt Fastener Applying Machine 2,899,680 Potter Belt-Fastening Machines 2,908,008 Potter Belt-Fastening Machines 3,044,074 Tebb et al Belt Lacing Machines 3,962,754 Stolz Plate Connectors for Belts 4,023,239 Stolz Coupling Rod for Connecting the Ends of a Conveyor Belt 4,050,138 Stolz Apparatus for Attaching Connectors to the Ends of a Conveyor Belt 4,151,634 Stolz Plate Connector for Conveyor Belts and Method for Securing Such Plate Connector to Conveyor Belts 4,315,349 Stolz Connecting Strip for Conveyor Belts 4,427,190 Stolz Apparatus for Pressure Attaching Conveyor Belt Connectors 4,517,737 Sulzle Apparatus for Securing Connectors to a Fabric 4,522,329 Stolz Apparatus for Pressing-In Belt Connectors 4,653,156 Stolz et al. Convector for Conveyor Belting 4,681,359 Stolz Belt Gripping Device 5,018,262 Wheatcroft Belt Splicing Apparatus 5,020,209 Fullard Belt Lacing and Cutter Assembly 5,038,442 Stolz et al. Coupling Device Including a Hinge Pin for Interconnecting Conveyor Belt Ends 5,236,079 Herold Belt Fastener Arrangement 5,238,169 Herold Apparatus for Fastening Belt Ends 5,341,545 Herold Belt Fastening Arrangement 5,415,913 Clevenger, Jr. Method of Splicing Round Baler Belts 5,553,359 Herold Fastener for Conveyor Belts